How did Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X's friendship break? Boxer wished he had a do-over
America in the 1960s wasn't the safest or the easiest place for a Black person. No one knew this better than Cassius Clay (who would later change his name to Muhammad Ali), a young boxer in his early 20s. Having won to national Golden Glove titles and an Olympic Gold medal, Cassius was working really hard to become the heavyweight champion in the boxing world. Having grown up in the heavily segregated South, Cassius was extremely careful about how he presented himself to the public and mindful of his public image.
While to the world outside, Cassius was a boxing champion to watch out for, little did the people know about the boxing champion's private philosophy and messages he was receiving. Cassius was slowly turning towards the teachings of the Nation of Islam (NOI), a Black nationalist offshoot of mainstream Islam that preached the separation of races and rejected the nonviolent ideals of the Martin Luther King Jr.-led civil rights movement. The NOI gave many things to Muhammad Ali, but also took away several things from him, including his friendship with his former mentor Malcolm X. Muhammad Ali is known to the world for his braggart ways and living a life filled with no regrets, but the great boxing legend carried one regret to his grave- turning his back on Malcolm X. Malcolm and Ali's friendship and their eventual fallout continues to intrigue public and scholars alike. So, it came as no surprise when Netflix decided to make a documentary on this subject, based on a book by Johnny Smith and Randy Roberts titled 'Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X'. Read on to know more about the friendship and the fallout between two of the most influential and powerful Black men of the 20th century.
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Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali first crossed paths when Ali decided to attend the NOI rally in Detroit, Michigan, in early 1962. Ali watched Malcolm X, who was the minister of New York City's Mosque No. 7 at that time deliver a powerful and passionate speech that floored the boxer. In his biography, 'The Soul of a Butterfly', Ali recalled, "My first impression of Malcolm X was how could a Black man talk about the government and white people and act so bold and not be shot at? He was fearless. That really attracted me." On the other hand, Malcolm X was drawn to the charisma and energy that the boxing legend displayed.
Soon a friendship sparked between the two men. Alongside his growing friendship with Malcolm X, Ali was also drawn to the leader of NOI, Elijah Muhammad. Unfortunately, things between Elijah and Malcolm were pretty strained as Malcolm was unhappy with the NOI leader's alleged affairs with numerous men and the way he practiced Islam. Malcolm accused the religious leader of not knowing prayer rituals and fathering several children through affairs with his secretaries. These allegations led Eliajh to throw Malcolm out of NOI.
Around this time, Elijah and Ali's kinship kept getting stronger. Elijah even conferred the name of Muhammad Ali on Cassius. So, when it was time for Ali to pick a side, he chose Elijah over Malcolm. “Malcolm and I were so close and had been through so much,” wrote Ali in his autobiography, “But there were many things for me to consider.I felt that he had set me free! I was proud of my name and dedicated to the Nation of Islam as Elijah presented it. At that point in my journey, I just wasn’t ready to question his teaching.”
Ali and Malcolm crossed paths once again in Ghana. They bumped into each other outside the Ambassador Hotel in the capital city of Accra. “He was wearing the traditional Muslim white robes,” wrote Ali, “Further signifying his break with Elijah Muhammad. He walked with a cane that looked like a prophet’s stick and he wore a beard. I thought he’d gone too far. When he came up to greet me I turned away, making our break public.”
According to the account retold by Johnny Smith, co-author of Blood Brothers, Malcolm X’s eager call of “Brother Muhammad!” was met with Ali’s stony-faced rejoinder: “Brother Malcolm, you shouldn't have crossed the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.” It was only years after Malcolm X was assassinated that Ali came to see him as “a visionary, ahead of us all," reported The Independent. “Malcolm X was a great thinker and an even greater friend,” wrote Ali. “I might never have become a Muslim if it hadn’t been for Malcolm. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would never have turned my back on him.”
'Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali' premieres on September 9 on Netflix.